Means for detecting leaks in underground oil-pipes



(No Model.)

J. BURNS.

MEANS FOR DETECTING LEAKS IN UNDERGROUND OIL PIPES.

all. REcuvma TAN K.

OIL HZOLIVINO TENN OIL SUPPLY TA NK n. PETERS moum g v w Wishlnglon, D c.

Patented Apr. 1, 1890.

fizventor:

JOHN Bumve,

wmmw

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN BURNS, OF ROCHESTER, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JOHN H.

REYNOLDS, OF TROY, NElV YORK.

MEANS FOR DETECTING LEAKS lN UNDERGROUND OIL-PIPES.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent NO. 424,597, dated April 1, 1890.

Application filed December 2, 1889. Serial No. 332,273. (No model.)

(To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN BURNS, of Roches ter, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Means for Detecting Leaks in Underground Oil- Pipes, of which the following is a specifica tion.

My invention consists in inclosing the oil pipe within a water-main which is provided with a series of test-tanks placed at or near the surface of the ground through which the waternnains are laid, said waternnain being preferably divided into communicating compartments by means of transverse partitions which have openings at or near their lower part, so that the water-com1nunication between said compartments will be unobstructed, but which will prevent any of the oil that may leak from a section of the oil-pipe contained in either of said compartments from passing into an adjoining compartment, each of said compartments being provided with one or more of said test-tanks, into which the wa ter from the corresponding compartment is conducted through a branch pipe, the oil from the leakage in a compartment rising to the surface of the Water in the corresponding testtank, giving unmistakable evidence of the existence of a leak in the oil-pipe contained in' said compartment.

In the accompanying drawings, which are herein referred to and form part of this specification, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my invention with the Water main and one of the test-tanks shown in longitudinal section. Fig. 2 is an enlarged transverse section of the water main and its contained. oil-pipe showing one of the perforated partitions in said watermain; and Fig. 3 is a sectional view of a threeway stop and waste cock for the branch pipe leading from the water-maiu to a test=tank.

As represented in the drawings, A designates an oil supply tank or reservoir from which oil is supplied. to a system of supply pipes, either with or without a series of oilreceiving tanks B, for distributing oil at points distant from said reservoir C is an oil distributing pipe which is connected to the reservoir A, and which, when the receiving-tanks B form part of the system, is connected. to the receiving-tanks by branch pipes D. The distributing-pipe C may also be provided with lateral branches to extend the system of distribution in different directions over any required extent of territory.

E is a water-reservoir or other source of water-supply by which a required head or pressure can. be obtained for maintaining a full supply of water in the mains F. The latter lead from said reservoir to such points as the oil-distribution system is required to reach, and they are provided with partitions or diaphragms G, fixed therein at suitable distances to divide each of said mains into a series of compartments, which only communicate with each other through an opening or openings H, formed in each of said partitions at or near its lower edge, so that whatever movement the water may have in said mains the movement of the water therein will occur near the lower part of the bore of the mains. The oil-distributing pipe C is contained in the watermains F, and the branch pipes D, which are secured to the pipe 0 by joints that will prevent leakage at those points, are fitted to form water-tight joints with the water-mains F at every point where they pass into the body of said mains to form a junction with the pipe 0. Each of said branch pipes is preferably provided with an automatic valve I, which is operated by a float J in such manner that when the oil has attained a required height in the receiving-tank B to which said valve is assigned said float will effect a closure of the valve to prevent a further flow of oil into said receiving-tank.

K designates the testtanks, which are connected to the water-main F, so that each compartment of the latter will be provided with one or more of said test-tanks. Each of the latter is connected by a vertical pipe L to said water main, and each of said vertical pipes is provided with a three-way cock M or other suitable appliance, by which either a communication between the water-main and test-tank can be established or the contents of said testtank can be emptied.

In the three-way cock M shown in the drawin gs there are two oppositely-located branches 1 and a lateral branch 2,the first two forming a continuous passage through the pipe L when applied thereto and the third forming a Wasteopening, into which a drainage-pipe should be fitted. The turn-plug of said cock is provided withtwo oppositely-located ports 3 and a lateral port 4, which coincide with the openings through the shell or casing of the cock, so that when said turn-plug is turned in the position shown in Fig. 3 a direct passage through said cock and the pipe L will be established; but

when said turn-plug is turned to bring the port 4 into coincidence with the uppermost branch 1 and one of the ports 3 into. coincidence with the lateral branch 2 of the casing a passage will be established from the testtank out of the branch 3, so that the contents of said test-tank can be drained off through the last-named branch, and by this means the oil and water can be removed from all danger of being frozen in the test-tank and pipe L.

The receiving-tanks B should be provided with suitable valves or other appliances for drawing the oil therefrom.

The partitions G will prevent any oil which may escape through leaks in the oil-distributing pipe 0 into any compartment of the watenmain F from passing from one compartment of said main into another; but the openings H in said partitions will permit the water to flow freely into the successive compartments when by reason of the opening of any of the cocks Ma current is established through the water-main.

I The operation of myinvention is as follows: On the occurrence of a leakage in the oil-distributing pipe 0 in any of the compartments of the watermain F the escaping oil will by reason of its interior gravity rise to the surface of the water in the Water-main F, and from thence through the pipe L, leading from said compartment, to the surface of the water.

in the test-tank K belonging thereto. Thereby an unmistakable visible indication is given that a leak has occurred in the section of the oil-distributing pipe that is contained in the corresponding compartment of said watermain.

WhatI claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, with a water-supply having a water-main leading therefrom, an oil-reservoir or other oil-supply having an oildistributing pipe leading therefrom, said oildistributing pipe being inclosed in said water-main and enveloped by water therein, of a branch pipe leading from said water-main, whereby oil from a leak in said oil-distributing pipe will be carried to a visible testingpoint, as and for the purpose herein specified.

2. The combination of an oil-distributing pi pe,a water-main which incloses said 0il-dis-- tributing pipe so as to envelop the latter in a body of water in said main, and a test-tank fixed at or near the surface of the ground and connected to said water-main by means of a pipe which forms a communication between said waterqnain test-tank, as and for the purpose herein specified 3. The combination of a water-main and an oil-distributing pipe, and a test-tank connect ed by a branch pipe to said wateronain, said oil-distributing pipe being inclosed in said Water-main, and the latter'being provided with transverse partitions which divide said main into successive compartments, each of said partitions having an opening at or near its lower edge, as and for the purpose herein specified.

JOHN BURNS.

Witnesses:-

WM. H. LOW, S. B. BREWER. 

